Beverage vending machine cup feed unit

ABSTRACT

A cup feed unit for supplying cups in a beverage vending machine, wherein the cups are fed through an annular body, which has a substantially vertical axis, internally defines a through passage of diameter D, and has a number of locators, which are fitted to the annular body, are equally spaced about the axis, and are movable between a normal rest position, in which the locators limit the through passage to define a smaller passage of diameter D 1 &lt;D, and a withdrawn position, in which the locators are positioned outside the through passage.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a beverage vending machine cup feedunit.

BACKGROUND ART

A beverage vending machine cup feed unit normally serves to receive acup from a cup store inside the machine, and move the cup into a fillposition, in which it is filled with the beverage ingredients.

Because the cup has to be positioned accurately in the feed unit, toensure it is centred with respect to the dispensing members when it isfilled, the feed unit normally comprises a locating system for“correcting” the position of the empty cup, if necessary.

In multiple-beverage vending machines, it would be desirable to use cupsof different types and sizes for different beverages.

As yet, this has not been possible, due to currently used feed unitlocating systems only being reliable in locating cups of only slightlydifferent sizes.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cup feed unit thatis cheap and easy to produce, and designed to eliminate the abovedrawback.

According to the present invention, there is provided a cup feed unit asclaimed in claim 1 and preferably in any one of the following claimsdepending directly or indirectly on claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described byway of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a view in perspective, with parts removed for clarity, of adetail of a preferred embodiment of the cup feed unit according to thepresent invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 show larger-scale sections of a detail in FIG. 1 inrespective operating configurations;

FIGS. 4A-4D and 5A-5D show respective operating sequences of the FIG. 1feed unit.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Number 1 in FIG. 4A indicates as a whole a cup feed unit for supplyingcups 2 in a multiple-beverage vending machine 3.

Cup 2 is of the type normally used in beverage vending machines, and isdefined by a cup-shaped body of plastic or paper material, having alongitudinal axis 4 and a truncated-cone-shaped lateral wall 5, which isclosed at the narrow end by a flat bottom wall, and at the wide end hasan annular flange 6 about the whole of the mouth 7 of cup 2.

In machine 3, unit 1 is normally located next to a pickup compartment(not shown) accessible from the outside, and, during a normal operatingcycle of machine 3, is designed to receive a cup 2 from a store (notshown) inside machine 3, and set cup 2, as explained below, into a fillposition, and then into a pickup position for removal by the user fromthe outside. Because the range of beverages produced makes it necessaryto use cups 2 of different sizes, the store (not shown) comprises, inknown manner, a number of selectively activated stores, each housing anumber of cups 2 of a respective size, normally arranged in at least onestack. Each store (not shown) comprises, in known manner, a respectiveknown release device which, when activated, releases a cup 2 from thebottom of the stack; and a feed device (not shown), normally a fixedchute, which receives a cup 2 from the release device, and feeds cup 2,with its concavity facing upwards, to unit 1.

As shown in FIGS. 4A-4D, unit 1 comprises a substantially horizontalstand 8 which is located inside the pickup compartment (not shown),defines a support for cup 2, and is fitted to the casing (not shown) ofmachine 3 to translate vertically between a top or receiving position(FIG. 4A), in which stand 8 receives an empty cup 2 fed downwards by thefeed device (not shown); a first intermediate or locating position (FIG.4B) described in detail below; a second intermediate or fill position(FIG. 4C), in which stand 8 supports cup 2 beneath and a given distancefrom one or more known nozzles (not shown) for dispensing the beverageor beverage ingredients; and a bottom or pickup position (not shown), inwhich the filled cup 2 is withdrawn by the user from the outside.

Directly over stand 8, unit 1 comprises a locating device 9 forcorrecting, if necessary, the transverse position of cup 2 before it isfilled.

Locating device 9 comprises a funnel-shaped annular body 10 connectedrigidly to the casing (not shown) of machine 3, and having a verticalaxis 11 which defines a predetermined centred position of cup 2 on stand8, i.e. the position cup 2 must assume on stand 8 to centre mouth 7 withthe nozzles when filling the cup, and so prevent spillage of beverage oringredients. Cup 2 is in the centred position when its axis 4 coincideswith axis 11 of body 10.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, body 10 comprises a bottom portion 12 and atop portion 13 (shown partly in FIG. 1) assembled to each other.

More specifically, bottom portion 12 has an open-topped U-shaped crosssection, and comprises a truncated-cone-shaped outer wall 14 taperingtowards and coaxial with axis 11; and an annular bottom wall 15perpendicular to axis 11 and fitted rigidly, along its free inner edge,with an annular rib 16 coaxial with axis 11. Close to rib 16, bottomwall 15 is also fitted with a tubular appendix 17 which faces outer wall14, is coaxial with axis 11, and is higher than rib 16 and lower thanouter wall 14.

Top portion 13 closes the top of bottom portion 12, and comprises anannular top wall 18 substantially parallel to bottom wall 15 andconnectable to bottom portion 12 by fasteners 19 on bottom portion 12.

Top portion 13 also comprises a tubular wall 20 which is integral withan inner peripheral edge of top wall 18, extends, coaxially with axis11, down to rib 16, and defines a through channel 21.

As shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, tubular wall 20 comprises atruncated-cone-shaped inlet portion 22 tapering downwards towards axis11; and a cylindrical portion 23 which is connected to inlet portion 22,defines a bottom portion of channel 21, and has an inside diameter equalto the inside diameter of rib 16—to which inlet portion 22 iscontiguous—and larger than the diameter of flange 6 of the cups 2, ofwhatever size, used in machine 3.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, locating device 9 comprises four locators24, which are passive contrast members fitted to bottom portion 12, andwhich, following a movement of stand 8, moves into contact with an emptycup 2 on stand 8, to move cup 2 transversely, if necessary, into thecentred position. Locators 24 are equally spaced about axis 11, and eachcomprise a rocking arm 25 hinged to tubular appendix 17 by a respectivepin 26 crosswise to axis 11, and comprising a lever arm 27 whichoscillates in a radial plane through axis 11, and moves, via a number ofintermediate positions, between a normal rest position (FIG. 2), inwhich lever arm 27 extends partly inside channel 21, and a withdrawnposition (FIG. 3), in which lever arm 27 is withdrawn completely fromchannel 21 and defines, with the other lever arms 27, a passage equal indiameter to diameter D.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, lever arms 27 in the restposition define, inside channel 21, a passage with a diameter D1 smallerthan the diameter of flange 6 of cups 2, of whatever size, used inmachine 3.

Each lever arm 27 extends through a respective slot in tubular wall 20,and is bounded, on the side facing axis 11, by an edge 29 which, whenlever arm 27 is in the rest position (FIG. 2), projects towards axis 11from tubular wall 20, and slopes with respect to axis 11 by the sameangle as inlet portion 22, so as to form, with edges 29 of the otherrocker arms 25, a truncated-cone-shaped portion tapering downwardstowards axis 11 and substantially contiguous to inlet portion 22.

Rocker arm 25 also comprises an arm 30, which is shorter than lever arm27, extends substantially crosswise to lever arm 27, and is fitted onits free end with a counterweight 31 for normally maintaining rocker arm25 balanced stably in the rest position.

In an embodiment not shown, arm 30 and counterweight 31 are replaced bya spring fitted to pin 26 to normally maintain rocker arm 25 balancedstably in the rest position.

At the free end of edge 29, lever arm 27 has a right-angle appendixcomprising a portion 32 connected to edge 29 and extending from edge 29towards outer wall 14; and a portion 33 extending towards bottom wall 15from a free end of portion 32, and which cooperates with stops toaccurately define the rest position and withdrawn position of rocker arm25. Accordingly, the end of portion 33 is movable inside the gap betweenrib and outer wall 14, so as to contact rib 16 when counterweight 31pushes rocker arm 25 into the rest position (FIG. 2), and to contact aprojection 34 on outer wall 14 when rocker arm 25 is pushed by a cup 2into the withdrawn position (FIG. 3).

In a variation not shown, rocker arms 25 may number other than the fourin the example show. For example, in a simplified embodiment, threerocker arms 25, equally spaced about axis 11, may be sufficient.

Operation of unit 1 will now be described as of the operating sequencein FIGS. 4A-4D.

In FIG. 4A, stand 8 is in the raised position, and rocker arms 25 in therest position.

When a beverage is selected by the user, a cup 2 of a suitable size forthe selected beverage is released by the feed device (not shown), anddrops through channel 21 onto stand 8.

The FIG. 4A-4D operating sequence refers to a released cup 2 ofrelatively small size.

Because cup 2 is not guided along the final leg of its fall throughchannel 21, the position of cup 2 on stand 8 is rarely centred withrespect to axis 11, and, in most cases, as in the example shown, axis 4of cup 2 is out of line with axis 11 of channel 21.

At this point, stand 8 is lowered vertically for a given time, dependingon the type of cup 2 used, into the locating position (FIG. 4B); and, asstand 8 is lowered, cup 2 moves down and, as it does, is graduallycentred with respect to axis 11 by edges 29 of rocker arms 25contrasting the lateral wall 5 of cup 2.

Because the cup 2 in the example shown is not heavy enough to pushrocker arms 25 crosswise in opposition to counterweights 31, cup 2continues falling until it eventually fits between rocker arms 25 in therest position (FIG. 4B), and is centred with axis 4 perfectly alignedwith axis 11. To centre cup 2, stand 8, in this case, must therefore belowered to leave cup 2 suspended between rocker arms 25.

At this point, stand 8 is moved back up into the fill position (FIG.4C); and, because no crosswise force is exerted on cup 2 during thisupward movement, cup 2 remains as it was in the centred position.

Once cup 2 is filled, stand 8 is lowered into the pickup position lowerdown than the locating position. During which movement, the filled cup 2is heavy enough to move rocker arms 25 crosswise into the withdrawnposition, and so slip out of body 10 (FIG. 4D).

FIGS. 5A-5D refer to a user-selected beverage requiring a bigger cup 2than in the above example.

In this case, the operating sequence of unit 1 is substantially the sameas in FIGS. 4A-4D, except that the up and down movements of stand 8 areadapted to the size of cup 2.

More specifically, in this case, when stand 8 is lowered into thelocating position, the empty cup 2 is heavy enough to push rocker arms25 crosswise and rotate them about respective pins 26 in opposition torespective counterweights 31.

In this case, to prevent the empty cup 2 from slipping out of body 10 asstand 8 is lowered into the locating position, the downward travel ofstand 8 is therefore stopped as the centred cup 2, still resting onstand 8, begins moving rocker arms 25 into their respective restpositions.

1. A cup feed unit for supplying cups in a beverage vending machine, thecup feed unit comprising: an annular body having a substantiallyvertical axis and defining internally an axial through passage ofdiameter D; a number of locators that are fitted to the annular body,are substantially equally spaced about the axis, and are movable betweena normal rest position in which the locators limit said axial throughpassage to define a smaller passage of diameter D1<D and a withdrawnposition in which the locators are positioned outside the axial throughpassage; and movable supporting means mounted beneath the annular bodyto support and move along the axis a cup having a maximum diameterbetween D and D1, and fed downwards, in use, through the annular body.2. The cup feed unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locators arepassive members movable by said cup; said normal rest position being aposition of stable equilibrium.
 3. The cup feed unit as claimed in claim1, wherein the locators comprise respective lever arms mounted tooscillate, about respective fixed axes, in respective planes radial withrespect to the axis.
 4. The cup feed unit as claimed in claim 3, whereineach lever arm has a lateral edge facing the axis and which, when therelative locator is in the rest position, slopes with respect to theaxis to impart to said smaller passage, together with said lever arms ofthe other locators, a truncated-cone shape tapering downwards towardsthe axis.
 5. The cup feed unit as claimed in claim 3, further comprisingrestoring means configured to push each lever arm into the normal restposition.
 6. The cup feed unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the leverarm forms part of a respective rocker arm comprising a further arm; therestoring means being counterweight means carried by the further arm. 7.The cup feed unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising stop meansconfigured to define the rest position and the withdrawn position ofeach locator.
 8. The cup feed unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein themovable supporting means are mounted to translate along the axis to andfrom a lowered locating position in which they are located at such adistance from the annular body as to leave the cup in a position ofinterference with the locators.
 9. A beverage vending machine comprisingthe cup feed unit for supplying cups, as claimed in claim
 1. 10. A cupfeed unit for supplying cups in a beverage vending machine, the cup feedunit comprising: an annular body defining a substantially vertical axisand an internal axial through passage having a diameter D; a pluralityof locators that are fitted to the annular body, the plurality oflocators are substantially equally spaced about the substantiallyvertical axis and movable between a normal rest position in which theplurality of locators limit the internal axial through passage to definea smaller passage of diameter D1<D and a withdrawn position in which theplurality of locators are positioned outside the internal axial throughpassage; and a movable support structure mounted beneath the annularbody to support a cup having a maximum diameter between D and D1 that isfed downwards through the annular body during use, the moveable supportstructure configured to move the cup along the axis.
 11. The cup feedunit as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plurality of locators arepassive members movable by the cup.
 12. The cup feed unit as claimed inclaim 10, wherein the plurality of locators comprise respective leverarms mounted to oscillate, about respective fixed axes, in respectiveplanes radial with respect to the axis.